Enjoy Incubus
For Incubus fans, this is a special treat indeed. In the summer of 2011, the band took up a week-long residency in a Los Angeles warehouse and invited a handful of lucky devotees along for an up-close-and-personal insight into their world. For a band who nowadays are more used to the lofty open spaces of football stadiums than the confines of a small rehearsal space, this was something fans probably haven't seen since the days of Brandon Boyd's dreadlocks.
Partaking in a series of activities, including a host of intimate gigs with fan-selected setlists, instrument clinics, interviews, and a huge blank canvas on the wall for band members and fans alike to let loose their creative juices, Incubus captured the entire week on camera and present it here in a special compendium containing a live album, live DVD and documentary.
HQ Live is being released in three different formats; the normal version for fans, the special edition for fans with slightly more money, and the ridiculously deluxe limited edition box set for mega-fans who are happy to remortgage their houses in order to own a real collector's item. Both of the non-ridiculous versions contain the full DVD, along with selected songs in audio CD format. For an extra couple of quid you'll get 28 audio songs instead of 16 in a triple-disc package, which for most Incubus fans will be more than worth it.
The band played a different set every night during their weekly residence, with highlights captured here in one or two audio discs, and a DVD featuring a whole host of documentary footage, interviews and musings, and nineteen full song performances. On the special edition version, CD1 contains half a set of material from Morning View and half from Make Yourself. We're also treated to a cheeky cover of The Doors classic Riders On The Storm that blends perfectly into the middle of Are You In, and a brilliant version of B-Side Crowded Elevator. With CD2 comes predominantly newer material from A Crow Left Of The Murder, Light Grenades, and post-reunion outing If Not Now, When?; the only exceptions being a storming rendition of Morning View fan favourite Just A Phase, Make Yourself hit single Pardon Me, and non-album live favourite Pantomime.
Incubus have never been a band to shy away from evolving their music, yet have always managed to remain kings of their own sound. The natural transition between songs on different albums here really strengthens that point; from the oriental tranquillity of Aqueous Transmission straight into the rousing riff of Privilege, the departure from one is as reluctant as the arrival of another is welcome.
The most prominent appeal of HQ Live is that it stands as a banner of proof that Incubus songs were never meant to be caged up and forced to live in recording studio captivity. In a live environment, especially one as comfortable and intimate as this, you can almost sense the spreading of wings; the gulp of fresh air as they open up and show their true colours. The band are all on top form as well, and on numerous occasions the songs are extended and jammed with slick perfection.
I couldn't possibly give this release full marks with the huge gaping hole that is the lack of any material from their seminal album S.C.I.E.N.C.E., although a video performance of Glass does feature as part of their live set on the DVD. But this aside, what we have here is something that looks and feels like it was made with the fans at the forefront of the band's thoughts. The CD artwork, the live setting, the whole package is a refreshing stance from what one might expect from such a high profile band. It's not studio-perfect (and Brandon's vocals sound a tad flat on occasion), but that's exactly what makes this release so special. This is a raw and intimate insight into the world of a hugely successful alternative rock band. If they'd recorded another live album in an arena or similarly large venue I think something would have been lost here, and it may have felt more like a generic release to bolster somebody's bank account. Instead, HQ Live captures each song perfectly and really allows them to breathe. Incubus are a band who have, musically speaking, morphed a fair bit over the years; they've probably lost old fans along the way, but beyond all doubt they've gained a huge number of new ones. This is an absolutely essential addition to any current fan's collection, and also acts as a great showcase for a band who understand the importance of staying a crow left of the murder.